Our off-road modified Toyota Hilux pickup needs prayer. The registration became due the end of August. We have been unable to renew the registration because the Certificate of Registration (CR) (which I guess would be called a Title in the States) lists the fuel as gas while it is actually diesel. Two years ago a fellow New Tribes Missionary renewed the registration for us in the town where he lives because we were in the States. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) there fixed the problem in the LTO computer system and renewed the registration. Last year we were able to renew it no problem at our “local” LTO only 5 hours away from us. This year the LTO refused to renew the registration until a new paper CR is issued. They said it would take a week. It has now been over a month and still no new CR. There is a large penalty for each month the renewal is overdue. Please PRAY that the LTO will soon have a new CR for us – it often takes months or even years or never for the LTO to do things like this. It is supposedly being made at an LTO office in a city. It is expensive for us to have Mahan make the 10 hour round trip on our motorcycle in order to check with the LTO if the CR is ready. They won’t give us a phone number to call so we can’t check by phone. So that’s a prayer request and a little insight into the culture here.
And speaking of transportation, our mission airplane is down for repairs. Diagnosis was made of the problem and a part ordered from the States and installed. But, the new part wasn’t functioning up to specifications. After days of diagnoses by the pilot in consultation with the New Tribes Mission Aviation chief mechanic in the States they think they have the problem narrowed down. It involves purchasing another part in the States and shipping it to the Philippines. The best scenario is that it will be at least another week and one-half before the plane is running again – perhaps much longer depending on shipping time of the part and whether or not it solves the problem. Our last scheduled supply flight was not able to take place. We are scheduled to fly out to town soon because of dentist and doctor appointments in the city. Please PRAY that the plane will soon be up and running again.
Here is a simple way you can help New Tribes Mission. If you buy from Amazon go to this link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-6024926 which lists NTM as the charity you wish to support. Purchases made through this link will mean that .5% of your purchase price will be given to NTM.
We mentioned in a previous email about two young men that Mahan is training to teach God’s Word. They are already doing a great job under Mahan’s supervision of teaching the evangelistic phase of the Manubu’ teaching program to fellow young people. Thanks for praying for them.
In the following picture of them Epel is on the left. He is 16 years old. On the right is his cousin Jundri who is 17 years old. In the middle is Mahan who is 34 years old. He was just a young boy when we first started with the Manubu’ people and was part of a group of kids that Carol taught to read and write. He also started teaching God’s Word when he was only 16 years old. Today he is a skilled teacher of God’s Word with a wonderful gift for coming up with cultural illustrations. He reminds us in that way of the pastor who led Gene to the Lord in 1978 – wonderful, helpful illustrations in his sermons. Please continue to PRAY for Epel and Jundri as they undoubtedly will face much temptation to draw them to worldly things and away form teaching God’s Word.
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It is always very exciting to us to see young Manubu’ men learn to teach God’s Word. We have heard of eight other ones who are being trained as Bible teachers in Manubu’ churches in other villages. Very exciting.
We really appreciate your part in what God is doing here among the Manubu’.